The Only Thing You've Ever Known
by wallscollide
Summary: AU. Callie's adoption by the Adams Fosters is official, but she finds herself still falling back on old habits. Will she let them in, allowing Stef and Lena to truly be her parents, or will she keep them in the dark?
1. Busy

**A/N:** Hey, all. Here's that new story I promised. I usually suck at coming up with good summaries, but I'm actually sort of happy with this one. lol

I can't take credit for the title; it's lyrics from "Everybody" by Keith Urban. I don't own _The Fosters_ , but the idea for this story is mine. I hope everyone enjoys it.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - "Busy"**

 **Monday - 6:05 PM**

Callie was in her room doing homework when there was a small knock at the door. "Come in."

"Hey, Callie," Stef greeted her as she entered.

"Hey. How was work?"

"Fine. Same old, same old." She joined her daughter on her bed, peering at the textbook and papers in front of her. "How was school?"

Callie shrugged and wrote an answer down in her notebook. "Fine, I guess."

The blonde nudged her. "You guess?"

"Yeah," Callie said.

"What are you working on?"

"History."

Stef smoothed her back. "We missed you at dinner. Lena said you weren't hungry."

 _That_ is what Callie was waiting for. _What took her so long?_ "Yeah. I just have a bunch of homework to do and didn't wanna be up all night," she explained, glancing up at her mom and back at her notebook, scratching down another answer across the page.

Stef didn't fail to notice how the teen shrunk away slightly from her touch, but chose not to mention it. "I see. Well, there are leftovers in the kitchen if you decide you want some. Don't work too hard, okay?" Stef left Callie alone.

Callie sighed, knowing that was Stef's way of checking up on her. She was so obvious sometimes. She didn't see the big deal; it was one dinner, one meal. She wasn't lying, she _did_ have a ton of homework to do. She just had no appetite is all. She sighed again, clearing her throat and settling back into her work.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Monday - 8:23 PM**

Callie exhaled sharply, frustrated at the seemingly unsolvable Algebra II problem, and convinced that it was taunting her from where it sat on the page. She set the textbook aside and decided to go downstairs for something to drink.

Lena was at the sink when she entered the kitchen. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hey." She filled a glass with ice and water, sitting down at the table.

"How's the homework going?"

"It's going, slowly but surely. I'm just taking a break."

Lena sat down across from her. "One of those days, huh?"

"Yeah, when every teacher decides to give an hour's worth of work that's due the next day," Callie adds with a laugh.

"Wait 'til you get to college, you'll be begging for a mere few hours of work in place of a fifteen-page paper that's assigned and due in a week."

Callie's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? Fifteen pages in a week?"

"Yep. It was hell, to say the least."

"That sounds…fun."

"Oh, that, my dear, it was not, I promise you."

Callie took a drink, coughing a bit and clearing her throat.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, wrong pipe. I'm gonna get back to work, math waits for no one. At this rate, I _might_ finish everything by ten," she sighed.

"Okay, hon."

Callie took her glass with her as she passed Stef while going back upstairs.

Stef watched Callie's retreating figure for a moment before looking at Lena. "Do you think something's up with her?"

"No, why?" she wondered curiously as Stef came closer.

"She skipped dinner and was kinda short with me earlier."

"Stef, she's a teenager. I'm sure she's just stressed about school. She just told me that she'll be lucky to finish her homework by ten. It's common for stress to induce a lack of appetite. She's fine."

"You're right," Stef exhaled. "You're right. I worry too much."

"That's better than not enough," Lena reminded her, wrapping her arms around her wife's torso and kissing her softly.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Monday - 10:35 PM**

Callie chose to move her homework marathon downstairs to the dining room table about an hour earlier. She was reading a story for English and had to answer questions about it. Her ears perked up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"Are you _still_ working, Callie?" Stef asked as she stopped at the landing.

She didn't look up as she answered. "Yeah. Algebra took me longer than I thought."

"Let's wrap it up for the night, okay?"

"I'm not done yet."

Stef was more firm this time as she walked up to the girl. "C'mon, it's late. You have school."

"Fine. I'll just tell Timothy the real reason why I'm not turning in my homework: _my mom made me go to bed_. Be glad I'm not on my phone or something," Callie sassed, her tone sour. She returned her attention to the story in front of her.

Stef decided to concede the point for now and let Callie's poor attitude slide; she was tired and didn't feel like fighting. "Alright," she sighed. "Get to bed as soon as you're done."

Callie finally finished about twenty minutes later, putting her things away, and going to her room. She had such a headache from staring at textbooks for the better part of her day. She gave sleep a chance for about ten minutes before deciding to get some Tylenol from Stef's and Lena's bathroom. She crept in as quietly as possible and found the familiar white bottle in a drawer next to their double sink.

"What are you doing in here?" Stef half-whispered and Callie could see that she was in no mood for games.

"Getting some Tylenol, see?" She held it up. "Headache."

"Well, I'm not surprised. About all I've seen of you today has been your nose in a textbook."

Callie was prepared to make a comment, but wisely thought better of it. She shook out two pills and chased them down with water. "Good night."

Stef let Callie pass by her without another word, turning off the light, and going back to bed.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Tuesday - 7:20 AM**

Callie went downstairs for breakfast as everyone bustled around, busy with their morning routines.

Stef was packing lunches. "Jesus! How many times do I have to tell you to brush your teeth in the bathroom? Go! _Yeesh_."

"Good morning, sweetheart. How'd you sleep?" Lena wondered, kissing the top of her head as she sat down at the table.

"Alright." If she was being honest, she was feeling pretty tired. Her headache subsided, but she didn't sleep more than a couple of hours, if that. Even though she still wasn't hungry, Callie got some orange juice, scrambled eggs, and toast for herself and ate anyway. Stef and Lena would really be on her case if she refused two meals in a row.

"What time did you get to bed?"

"Around eleven." She took a sip of juice and winced a bit as she swallowed; it stung her throat on the way down. "Are we driving or walking?"

"You guys are gonna have to walk today," Lena announced. "I have a budget meeting first thing that I need to set up for, so I need to leave right now, actually." She kissed Stef. "Love you, see you tonight."

"Love you," she echoed and Lena left. "How's your headache, Cal? Any better?" Stef wondered as she brown-bagged a few items.

"Yeah, it went away before I fell asleep, thanks."

Jude and Brandon came down next and got some food. Jesus filed in soon after.

"Alright, where is Mariana? Mariana! Shake a leg, Miss Thing! Breakfast!" Stef yelled, even though it was pointless; her youngest daughter was always last to the breakfast table. "You all are walking, so you need to get a move on."

Callie finished her plate and drank the rest of her juice, standing and taking her dishes to the sink, groaning inwardly. She really did not feel like walking to school, but was going to suck it up. She grabbed her lunch from the counter. "Well, I'm gonna get a head start. Bye."

"Have a good day," Stef said and was met by the sound of the front door closing.

Once Callie was out of earshot of the house, she let out a few soft coughs that she'd wanted to release ever since she sat down in the kitchen. Her throat that was slightly scratchy yesterday was becoming increasingly sore with every swallow.

Callie made it to Anchor Beach before the others, going to her locker and first period classroom to start the school day.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Tuesday - 11:03 AM**

Callie was in the courtyard during lunch, although, hers was untouched except for her water bottle and the 'bites' of food that were in the paper bag so it would seem like she was eating, just in case Lena, Jude, or Brandon came by.

Callie soon decided to give up the charade, throwing away her lunch and heading to the bathroom. The mirror showed how tired she looked; her color, a bit off. She looked like crap, but she just had to hope that no one important would notice.

* * *

 **A/N:** Gotta set the stage for what's to come, obviously. Leave me some reviews and let me know what you all think of this introductory chapter.

 **Behind the Story:**

\- The working title was "A Lesson in Trust." I wasn't completely satisfied with it, so I knew I was going to have to come up with something else. I love my final choice, it encompasses the story and themes explored perfectly.

\- The lines _"We missed you at dinner. Lena said you weren't hungry"_ were what started this. They popped in my head and would not leave me alone; I had to build something around them. It snowballed from there into the rest of the story.

\- It's funny when you think a chapter is done and nothing needs to be taken out, added, or changed. I made quite a few last-minute tweaks to this before hitting "Publish New Story," all for the better, I hope.


	2. Can't Hide

**A/N:** THANK YOU to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited/followed and for the overwhelming response to this, I did not expect it at all. I appreciate it very much.

This is the second shortest chapter, so don't panic, dear readers! Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - "Can't Hide"**

 **Tuesday - 4:50 PM**

Callie went straight upstairs to start on homework after school, but lay down to shut her eyes soon after. She felt absolutely wiped out.

"Callie? Dinner's ready," Lena informed her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just laid down for a second. Between all the homework yesterday and school, my brain's sort of overloaded," Callie admitted, which wasn't entirely untrue. She was just glad that she could blame her raspy voice on having just woken up.

She nodded. "I understand."

"I'll be down in a minute."

Lena left and Callie got up to prep for having to face her family. She drank some water and put on a bit of makeup before going to the kitchen.

"Alright guys, I made halibut, brown rice, and mixed veggies. Dig in."

While she was grateful that Lena had prepared the meal, the sight of the halibut turned Callie's stomach. She took the smallest filet from the platter and loaded up more on the rice and vegetables.

The back door opened as Stef walked in, home from work. "Hey, gang," she said as she leaned in to kiss Lena. Everyone greeted her. "Dinner looks great, hon." She sat down next to Callie and made herself a plate.

Callie took bites in increments so as not to draw attention to herself. Eating was practically torturous; her throat was really sore at this point and none of the food tasted good. She tried to remember to smile and laugh when appropriate, hoping she could get through this without talking. The less talking she did, the less chance she had of coughing, making it more likely that she wouldn't be found out by her moms.

"Callie, you've been quiet. How was school?" Lena asked a couple of minutes later, looking over at her.

 _So much for_ that _plan_. "It was fine."

"Not as much homework for tonight, I see. I'm glad. You were working so hard yesterday."

"Yeah. Me, too." She cleared her throat as quietly as possible and took a sip of water.

Everything was going pretty smoothly. A few minutes later, however, Callie really needed to cough, so she got up from the table. "I need to use the bathroom." She was thanking the heavens above that her words did not come out strangled. She was excused, walking around the corner and making sure the door was locked. She waited the appropriate amount of seconds before flushing the toilet, coughing to relieve her burning lungs. Once it stopped, she turned on the sink and made sure to get every cough out so she could get through dinner and busy herself with homework afterward.

She returned to the table and ate some more until Jesus collected the dishes, going to her room when the first opportunity presented itself.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Tuesday - 6:45 PM**

Callie and Mariana were both doing their homework on their beds. Callie was working on Biology and Mariana was preoccupied with Honors Geometry. She was in quite a few advanced classes, despite being a freshman.

Callie was pretty focused on the task at hand despite her headache; more missing Tylenol would cause Stef and Lena to ask questions, and she couldn't have that. Her throat would not stop pestering her, like a fly that kept zipping by no matter how many times it was swatted away. She cleared her throat, her eyes skimming the page of her textbook for an answer to one of the questions at the end of the chapter on ecosystems.

"Will you just get some water already?" Mariana said, clearly annoyed.

Callie looked at her. "What?"

"That's like, the tenth time you've cleared your throat in five minutes. It's getting on my nerves."

"Oh. Sorry." She had been so distracted by her work and staying in tune with her body, not realizing how often she'd been doing it. Callie got up and went to the bathroom, swallowing some cool water out of a Dixie cup. She returned to her bed and resumed working.

A couple of minutes later, however, Callie felt a familiar ache and pressure build up in her lungs; she needed to cough again. If she let them come out as they should, Mariana or someone else would surely make a big deal of it, which was the last thing she wanted. Her only option was to let them out in small, shuddering breaths until the need passed.

"Are you okay?" Mariana asked her suddenly.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Callie replied, feigning ignorance to her concern.

Mariana narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Are you sure? You're being weird."

"Aren't I always? I think that math's getting to you and scrambling your brain," Callie joked, trying her best to keep the mood light.

Mariana didn't avert her gaze, and Callie could tell that the younger teen wasn't entirely convinced. "Okay," she drawled, eventually looking back down to her math notebook and punching in keys on her calculator.

Callie sighed inwardly with relief that Mariana wasn't going to press the issue any further, but she knew that needed to get a handle on this fast, before that had a chance to happen with someone else, especially her moms. They would not be as dismissive as her sister.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Wednesday - 7:23 AM**

Callie barely slept again the previous night; she felt herself really dragging to get ready for school and down to breakfast on time so she wouldn't send off any red flags. She felt worse than ever, if it was possible. She was so tired and ached all over. Her limbs felt heavy and she was pretty sure she had a fever.

When she got to the table, everyone was there besides Mariana, unsurprisingly.

"Morning, Cal. Get some grub," Lena said, handing her a plate. Callie had a close call with her just before bed. She almost blew her cover when Lena came in her room as she wasn't paying attention when taking off her makeup.

Callie reached for the spoon to scoop some hash browns, but felt a sudden panic surface when she realized that she was about to cough all over the food if she didn't move _now_.

With that horrible thought in mind, she bolted from the table and was out the front door in seconds, her coughs leaving an audible trail behind her.

Everyone looked around, stunned, and Stef was the first to react. "I've got her." She jogged out the door after her daughter.

* * *

 **A/N:** As you can see, the story will gain some real traction in the next chapter. Stay tuned. Reviews are appreciated.

 **Behind the Story:** This chapter was originally even shorter. I felt like it was missing something and that jumping from dinner to the next morning wasn't the right call, so I added in that Callie/Mariana scene last. It did the trick. I love them together; they remind me of the relationship I have with my sister who's two years younger. :)


	3. Breakdown

**A/N:** Hey, everybody! Thank you so much again for your responses to this. To my newest readers/reviewers/followers: Welcome! I hope you're enjoying this and that you stick around.

I was going to wait until a few more days before updating again, but I just finished a brand new story that popped into my head a couple of days ago and as a result, I'm in a generous mood. So here you go, a new chapter!

This was an emotional chapter for me to write and you'll see why. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I hope you all like it.

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - "Breakdown"**

 **Wednesday - 7:25 AM**

"Callie! Callie, stop!" Stef yelled as she caught up to her two houses down the street.

Callie kept walking away from the house and down the sidewalk, her arms crossed over her chest. "Leave me alone, alright?"

Stef matched her pace. "What happened back there?"

"Nothing!"

"It definitely looked like something."

"Well, it wasn't, so you don't have to worry," she assured her, still striding defiantly toward the corner of their street, ignoring her body's protests to end the physical exertion that was being forced upon it.

"Callie, come on, let's talk." Stef said, reaching for the girl's upper arm.

She spun around and flinched away from the slight contact. "Why do you care so much?" The outburst forced her to stop and cough; the sudden deep, forceful sounds surprised Stef. "Just go! Let me go." She silently cursed the hoarseness in her voice that was no longer avoidable; she hated how vulnerable she sounded.

Stef seemed to pick up on that as well; she held her daughter firmly by the shoulders so that they were face-to-face, speaking softly. "I can't do that, baby."

Callie glanced up at her and saw that her eyes held a mix of sadness and sympathy. She looked away, feeling small and exposed under her stare. The jig was up. She lost.

Stef loosened her hold. "What's going on, hm?"

"I mean, you know now, so..." she mumbled, trailing off on purpose.

"What do I know?"

"Don't do that!" Callie shouted, but despite her intentions, fatigue clearly showed through her anger, like she was an overtired toddler who'd gone without her daily nap. She felt herself wearing down, but was determined to fight through it.

"Don't do what?"

" _That_. Try to lead me into answering. It's not gonna work," she vowed as sternly as her voice would allow. She was still in control here.

"Then, please just tell me what's wrong."

Callie couldn't stand to see her mom's pleading expression; she turned to start walking again, but Stef made sure she held on to her. This time, she was resolute in her request: "You are not to take another step, do you hear me? You're not running away from this. Start talking."

Callie sighed heavily. She had given it her best shot. "I...I'm sick, alright? There. You happy?"

Stef's face softened at Callie's admission. "No, honey, I'm not. I hate seeing you like this. You're barely eating, not sleeping, you're talking back. Why—"

"Didn't I tell you and Lena?" Callie finished for her. "I don't know..."

"Oh, I think you do, Callie. C'mon, talk to me. You can tell me anything."

Callie kept her eyes glued to the sidewalk. "'Cause...because I'm used to doing this alone."

"Being sick?" Stef questioned, dropping her hands as she searched her daughter's face for answers, trying to understand.

"In most of our foster homes, they either pumped us full of Tylenol or nothing at all and sent us to school or banished us somewhere to sweat it out. Otherwise, we were forced to ignore it and do as we were told. _Keep your head down, do your chores, don't make a fuss, and you might get dinner_." Callie recited an old, but familiar mantra. She coughed again.

Stef felt like her heart was shattering at what she was hearing, but she had to keep it together. She wished with everything in her that she could go back in time to save Callie and Jude from what the foster system had put them through. "Did you think we'd get mad? That you'd be in trouble?"

Callie shrugged. "Maybe."

Stef sighed. "Callie, please look at me." A beat passed. "Please?"

She slowly raised her eyes to meet Stef's.

"I'm gonna tell you something and I want you to listen. _Really_ listen. You are loved and you are safe in that house," she stated as she pointed to it. "That is your home. Lena and I love you and your brother _very_ much. We chose you and you're ours just as much as Brandon, Jesus, and Mariana. You two completed our family. I am so sorry that you had to go through that. How you were treated will never, _ever_ happen again as long as you live under our roof. Don't ever be afraid to tell us that you're sick, or scared, or hurt, or in trouble. We're your moms and we want to see you through it, just like we did the other three. Every scrape, every bruise, every bad dream, every sniffle. Whatever it is. I love you, Callie Quinn, forever, and ever, and ever, and damn it, I won't hesitate to tell you every _second_ of every day until you believe it."

Callie looked down again and her shoulders began to shake. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry," she tried to apologize, her voice breaking.

"Oh, my love. Baby, come here." Stef closed the distance between them in a second. "Come here." She wanted nothing more than to take away her child's pain, even carry it for her if that's what it took.

Callie's coughs became mixed in with her sobs as she clung to Stef. "Callie, honey...breathe, slow breaths. That's it. I've got you. It's alright." A lump formed in her throat as she realized the enormity of the moment that they were experiencing.

It took a few minutes for them both to calm down. "Let's get you back inside, yes?"

Callie leaned against Stef as they walked back toward the house.

Lena could hear the pair of them coming up the walkway. "Not a word," she warned the four teens sternly as Stef followed Callie upstairs.

Callie looked surprised as Stef led her to her moms' room. "What about my bed?"

"Ours is bigger and more comfortable," Stef reasoned and she retrieved Callie's pajamas for her. "Get changed. I'll be out here."

Callie shut the door and swapped her clothes for what she was wearing just an hour ago.

Stef entered when she heard mattress springs creak. "See? Isn't that better? Now, I want you to tell me how you're feeling and what hurts."

It was time for Callie to admit all that she'd been hiding over the last few days. She decided to just come out with the truth; the hardest part was already over. "I feel horrible. I'm exhausted and achy. My head hurts, my throat, my chest. I'm coughing, obviously." As if on cue, a fit reared its ugly head. Stef knelt down beside Callie to rub her back until the deep, persistent reflexes stopped.

"I won't lie; this cough of yours concerns me. Nothing's coming up?"

"No."

"How about your chest pain? Does it come and go? Is it constant?"

"It's just kind of there, I guess. Like a four out of ten. Constant."

"Does it hurt to breathe? When you inhale? Exhale? Both?"

"Inhaling, definitely."

"Do your lungs feel heavy or full, like you can't take a deep breath?"

"I guess. I'm not really sure."

"That's okay. I'm gonna go talk to Lena for a minute and get some stuff from the bathroom, alright? I'll be back."

Stef went downstairs as the rest of her kids were leaving for school. "Are you guys okay?"

They all nodded.

"I promise that we'll talk about this later. Have a good day, my loves." Stef sighed as she heard the door shut.

"Is Callie alright? She scared us."

"She's okay." Stef paused as she heard Callie cough from upstairs. "Mostly. I don't think this is just a cold, honey. She was fine three days ago and now look at her."

"I agree," Lena said, her eyes betraying her worry.

"Listen, I know you have your optometrist appointment today, but can you reschedule?"

She nodded. "Absolutely."

"We should call in to work and take a personal day, a family emergency. I think Callie needs to see a doctor today, no exceptions. And we should both be there for her."

"You're right." Lena grabbed the land line. "I'm gonna call Dr. Roldan, the school, Captain Roberts, and Dr. Inez and see what she says. What about the other four? What if Callie needs to be admitted to the hospital?"

Stef kissed her temple, attempting to ease her fears. "We'll cross that bridge if we get to it, yes?"

"Okay. I'll take care of this. You take care of Callie."

Stef smiled a little. "That's what I do best." She paused for a moment. "And Lena?"

"Yeah?"

"She called me 'Mom.'" Her voice was thick with emotion as Lena came over and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, more."

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me know what you guys think! There will be more soon!

 **Behind the Story:** Stef's and Callie's confrontation was originally shorter, but it didn't fully capture Callie's scope of emotions before Stef's monologue, so I made sure to add to it. That was something I worked really hard on to get 'right' that was in-character for both of them without being overly dramatic or sappy. I think I pulled it off.


	4. It's a Start

**A/N:** In honor of Callie's adoption being official on the show (yes, I'm aware that it's probably going to blow up, just let me bask in this moment for five minutes!), here's more.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - "It's a Start"**

 **Wednesday - 7:38 AM**

Stef left Lena to make her phone calls as she returned to her bedroom. "Back in a flash, just like I said," she remarked in passing as she went in the bathroom. She rummaged around for the thermometer and Robitussin, remembering to bring a cup of water, as well. "Okay, here we are. Fever first." She felt Callie's flushed forehead and cheeks. "You're definitely warm, babe." She picked up the thermometer. "Have you seen one of these before?"

Callie shook her head.

"It's a tympanic thermometer. It goes in your ear. It was pricey, but also a godsend when we didn't wanna wake sleeping kids to check their temperature." She decided to demonstrate. "All you do is put it in your ear, hit this button, and presto," she said as the device beeped. "That's all there is to it."

"So, what's _your_ temperature?"

"99.1. I always run a little high."

Callie smirked. "I can tell."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Callie said, chuckling.

"Watch it, missy. No more stalling."

"You're the one who decided to go all Vanna White with the thermometer."

Stef laughed. "Okay, okay." She tucked Callie's hair behind her ear and inserted the device, withdrawing it once it beeped.

"What's the verdict?"

"101.6."

"That doesn't sound great." She coughed.

"I've seen and experienced worse, believe me, Cal. Time for medicine."

"This is Robitussin, a fancy name for cough syrup. I hope this will help. It should calm your cough for a bit." For the first time, Stef really saw just how exhausted Callie was. She could tell that her body was giving in to the stress of illness and sleep deprivation. Her chalky, white skin contrasted sharply with the bluish-gray that was under her eyes. "When did you last sleep through the night?" she asked gently.

"Saturday."

"It's a good thing you're staying home, you can try and catch up. This is grape-flavored. I'm gonna tell you, it's not always the easiest thing to swallow, which is why I have water if you need it."

"Got it."

Stef untwisted the cap and poured a dose into the pre-measured cup, handing it to her. "Down the hatch."

Callie tipped it up to her lips and swallowed. "I see what you mean." Her voice was a bit strangled. "It feels funny."

Stef could see that Callie was trying her hardest not to cough for fear of setting off another fit. She handed her the water. "Small sips."

Callie did as she was told and the urge thankfully subsided, barring a few small coughs.

"I need to go talk to Lena."

"Sure." Callie closed her eyes. "I'm gonna try to sleep."

"Okay, Cal."

Stef left and went back to the kitchen, sitting down at the table. "So, what's the plan?"

"I rescheduled my appointment for Friday, you and I are off from work, but Celia is booked solid for today. I explained everything and if she has any cancellations, she said we'd be the first to know."

Stef shrugged. "Well, last-minute appointments are always a gamble, anyway." She cleared her throat and went to the coffee pot.

Lena couldn't help but feel like her wife wasn't saying something. It wasn't like her to give up so easily. "What is it? What aren't you telling me?"

Stef sat back down next to her. "Look, Callie is going to the doctor today, no matter what. I just...this is her first sickness with us and I want her to feel comfortable. She knows Dr. C and I don't want to subject her to an Urgicare waiting room and strangers that won't really care about her. Celia's been so good with the twins and Brandon through the years."

Lena did not expect her to say that at all. "Have I told you lately how amazing I think you are?" she asked, her eyes full of love for the woman beside her.

"Lena, come on," Stef chuckled, attempting to deflect the sudden attention away from herself.

"I'm serious. Sometimes, I think your heart is so big that you'd trip over it if it was allowed to leave your chest. I love that you are so thoughtful and all you want to do is protect her."

"Do you remember what you said to me the day you brought Callie here?" She paused, cluing her in on the rhetorical question. " _'If you had been there and seen the way this girl looked at me...'_ " She turned her head to face Lena. "I experienced that for myself earlier. Lena...the girl that I found outside was afraid and ashamed to come to us. She wanted me to let her go God knows where. So I told her that we would be there no matter what and that I loved her. And it was like a weight had been lifted. She broke down in my arms and has never hugged me so tight. I would go to the ends of the earth for her," Stef finished, wiping her eyes and sniffling.

Lena rubbed her back and kissed her shoulder. "And that's why I love you so much."

Stef cleared her throat and drank her coffee.

"I'm glad you went after her, you know."

"What choice did I have? She's our daughter."

Lena sighed when she heard Callie coughing. "She sounds terrible."

Stef rubbed her wife's arm. "I gave her cough syrup; she should quiet down soon."

"Mom..." Callie's voice floated from upstairs, followed by more coughs.

Stef and Lena both rose from the table and went to her.

"Hey, sweets. What's up?"

Callie fidgeted with the blanket. "I'm thirsty."

"You know what? That's a good thing, Cal."

"Your mom's right, honey. We need to keep you hydrated."

"How about some water? Or we could get you something else."

Callie looked down into her lap. "Water's fine."

"Really, love. Whatever you want, it's no trouble."

Callie thought about it for a moment. "I like Cherry 7up and berry Powerade. It's blue."

"You've got it, babe. Anything else? Some pudding, Jell-O, popsicles? What was it that Jesus always wanted?"

"Dunkaroos," Lena said, chuckling.

Stef smiled, remembering. "That's right."

"What are those?"

"They were these packs of little cookies that you dunk in frosting. I wonder if they're still around?"

"I don't know."

Callie coughed, bringing them back to the situation at hand. "I like butterscotch pudding, cherry Jell-O, and cherry popsicles."

"Okay. I'll go to the store right now." Stef kissed the top of Callie's head.

"Honey, why don't you change first?" Lena noted that Stef was still in her uniform.

"Makes me look good," she smirked, throwing a wink Callie's way.

"Damn right," Lena agreed. "Love you."

"I love you, too." Stef went downstairs to get her car keys and left.

Callie started coughing again into the collar of her shirt, knowing that she didn't want to spread whatever this was all over and get anyone else sick.

Lena squeezed Callie's shoulder and handed her water when she finished.

"Thanks. I'm gonna rest my eyes for a minute." She lay down and pulled the covers over herself.

"Okay. I'll be downstairs."

Lena was in the kitchen when Stef got back from the store.

"Hey. Is Callie asleep?"

"I think so. I haven't heard a peep out of her since I came down here."

Stef was relieved. "Good." She busied herself with putting things away. "Look what I found."

Lena smiled when she saw the box of Dunkaroos. "Jesus will love that."

* * *

 **A/N:** Okay, I am seriously done updating until Sunday, at least. I am spoiling you guys! :p Leave me your thoughts, if you so choose.


	5. Answers

**A/N:** Don't believe anything I say with regard to when I'll update this or anything I post. lol Except, I'll be out of town this weekend, so no updates until Monday. Probably.

I'm not a doctor and I apologize if any of the medical information here is inaccurate. I do enjoy writing this stuff, so I like to make sure it is so, but no one's perfect. This chapter would not have been possible without Google. Thanks, Google.

Happy reading.

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - "Answers"**

 **Wednesday - 10:15 AM**

"Here you go, sweetheart. Nice and cold." Lena handed Callie a bottle of Powerade.

"Thanks." She took a few sips. The drink felt nice on her dry mouth and throat. She suddenly felt weight on either side of her as her moms sat down on the bed.

"Listen, Callie," Lena started, "You've seen that we don't automatically jump to this option just because someone gets sick around here. We wouldn't do this if we didn't feel it was necessary. I know the last thing you feel like doing is going anywhere, but your mom and I think you need to see a doctor. You have a pretty bad cough and we just want to make sure that it's not serious. That's all. We were going to take you to Urgicare after you woke up because Dr. C's schedule was full, but her office called and told us that she had an unexpected opening at 1:30. So, you still have time to sleep some more before we go."

"Okay."

Stef couldn't help but be surprised by that one word. She was sure that Callie would be fighting them tooth and nail on this, considering what happened earlier. But she supposed that all the fight had been drained from her.

"I understand if you're worried. I kind of am, too. I've never coughed like this or felt this bad."

"Worrying is reserved for parents only, do you hear me? We are gonna figure this out and get you better as soon as possible." Stef raked her nails up and down Callie's back.

Callie suddenly thrust the Powerade bottle at Lena and pulled at her shirt as coughs exploded from her, the longest spell so far.

"Relax, honey. Just breathe," Lena cooed softly as she and her wife exchanged equally concerned and helpless looks.

She groaned and let herself fall back against Stef who shifted herself accordingly and took the girl into her arms.

Stef could feel Callie shivering. "Do you have the chills, baby?"

Her eyes were closed. "Uh-huh."

At that, Lena went to the closet and draped another blanket over her.

Stef shifted again while still holding Callie, lying down. Lena adjusted the covers for them to make sure her daughter stayed warm.

Callie moved to lie against Stef's chest which caused her to cough. She immediately sat up and away from her. "I don't wanna get you sick."

Stef sat up and gently brought her back down with her. "Occupational hazard, love. If you think that's all it takes to get rid of me, you don't know me very well. Close your eyes."

Callie did and fell asleep soon after, curled into Stef with a hand on her chest.

"I'll wake you at a quarter to one," Lena whispered and Stef nodded in understanding before she left the room.

Stef watched Callie sleep for awhile, making sure she stayed that way before she drifted off as well.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Wednesday - 12:43 PM**

Lena entered the bedroom to find Stef and Callie still sleeping. She hated to wake them; Callie looked relaxed and peaceful in her mother's arms. However, they had a responsibility to find out just what made their daughter so sick. She softly prodded her wife's shoulder. "Stef? It's time, hon."

Stef opened her eyes and looked down at the girl on her chest. "Do we have to? Sleep is good for her," she reasoned, trying to convince herself that all Callie needed was rest and cuddles and she'd be fine. _What did doctors know, anyway?_

Stef sighed. "Callie. Sweets. Time to get up."

"Mm..." She didn't move or open her eyes. "Five more minutes..."

"I'm sorry, love. We've gotta get dressed and ready to go." She hated saying no to her, but Dr. Inez' practice was in a busy part of town; they didn't want to get stuck in traffic.

Callie begrudgingly sat up and stretched, feeling her aches return.

"What do you want to wear?" Lena asked her.

"Sweatpants, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and a hoodie."

Lena returned with the requested clothing, along with socks and shoes. She and Lena left her alone to change.

Stef came back in and took some clothes of her own from the dresser and put them on in the bathroom. She chose jeans and a dark green shirt; she had taken her hair out of the braided bun that she wore for work. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Callie grabbed the bottle of Powerade and the extra blanket that was on the bed.

"I'll get those," Stef offered and took them from her. She followed Callie as the girl took her time getting downstairs; lightheadedness slowed her pace.

Lena came from the kitchen and handed Stef her keys. Callie sat behind Stef and Lena climbed in next to her wife.

"Heat or A/C?" Stef asked.

"Heat," Callie responded as she relaxed against the seat and headrest.

Stef turned the engine and clicked a knob on the SUV's console, backing up out of the driveway and on to the street.

They arrived at Mission Bay Pediatrics fifteen minutes early. Stef parked and held the door open for Lena and Callie as they stepped inside and took a seat while she signed Callie in at the front desk. She sat down next to her as they waited to be seen.

Callie broke into yet another outburst of coughs; she felt embarrassed about losing control in front of everyone else that was there, she could practically feel every pair of eyes on her as she coughed helplessly into the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Lena gave her Powerade to sip on when she finished.

"Callie? Dr. Inez is ready for you."

The three of them stood up from their seats and walked back to the exam rooms. Dr. Inez waited for them at the door. "Hello, Stef. Lena," she greeted them with a friendly smile as they all went inside. "How are you?"

"We're good, thanks. Callie, here, on the other hand..." Stef said, gesturing to the obviously sick girl.

She nodded. "Right."

Stef and Lena sat down in some chairs while Callie did so on the exam table.

"Hey, Callie. It's been awhile. Your moms tell me you're not feeling well. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm gonna check your vitals and ask you some questions, then I'll examine you." She went to the sink to wash her hands. "Can you take off your sweatshirt?"

Callie did and handed it to Lena who held on to on it. She clutched at her stomach; the room was cold and she felt even colder with just one shirt on.

Dr. Inez picked up a tympanic thermometer from its cradle. "Temperature first." She placed the device in Callie's left ear and took it out when it beeped. "101.7."

"It's just a tenth of a degree more than this morning." Callie figured she should know.

"Thanks." Dr. Inez wrote on Callie's chart. "When was that?"

"Around eight," Stef replied.

Next, she grabbed a blood pressure cuff and secured it around Callie's upper left arm and removed it once she got the reading. "100/65, just a bit low. I'm gonna check your pulse." She placed her fingers on the inside of Callie's wrist and silently counted the beats. "Sixty-two."

"Now, here come those questions, okay? You need to be honest with me so that I can get a clear picture of what's going on so we can treat it properly. Got it?" She grabbed her clipboard to take notes.

Callie nodded her head. She was a little nervous to talk about this in front of her moms before she got here, but something about Dr. Inez made her feel at ease. Maybe it was because they actually cared enough to take her to the doctor in the first place, this was almost a brand new concept to her since she was in foster care for so long.

"When did you start feeling sick?"

"I've been feeling kinda tired lately, but on Saturday it started to feel different."

"Define 'lately.'"

She shrugged. "A couple of weeks."

Stef and Lena looked at each other. _How did we not notice anything?_

"Has anyone else been sick at home, any fevers?"

"No," Lena answered for Callie.

"How about at school? Any prolonged contact?"

"No."

"How about your co-workers or any regular customers at the diner?"

"Not that I can think of."

Dr. Inez posed the same question to Stef and Lena. "What about you two? Your co-workers?"

They both shook their heads.

"Okay. Tell me about your symptoms and how you're feeling."

"I'm exhausted, a fever, obviously, headache, chills, achy, a bit lightheaded and short of breath, my throat hurts, I can't stop cou—coughing," Callie explained as a bout surfaced. "Sorry."

"No apology necessary. When did that start?"

"Yesterday morning. My chest hurts when I inhale and cough."

"Have you ever felt like this before?"

"No. It kinda feels like the flu, but worse."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"That's about it, I think."

"Okay. Let's examine you, then." She set her clipboard down, snapped on a pair of rubber gloves, and reached into her pocket for a penlight. "Follow the light with your eyes. Good. Now my finger. Good. I'm gonna feel the glands in your neck." She kneaded her fingers down from behind Callie's ears to where they were just under her chin. "Definitely swollen." Next, she grabbed an otoscope and looked in her ears. "They're clear. No redness or signs of infection." She used it inside Callie's nostrils as well. "Sinuses are clear as well." Dr. Inez returned her otoscope in favor of a tongue depressor and her penlight. "Tongue out, ah."

Callie opened her mouth as the stick was placed on her tongue. "Ah..."

"Hm. That's quite an angry throat you've got there, Callie. Red and inflamed, but I don't see any pustules or spotting or swollen tonsils that could indicate strep or tonsillitis," Dr. Inez observed, looking over at Stef and Lena. She put on her stethoscope to listen to Callie's heart. "Nice and strong." Then she walked behind her, placing the chestpiece on Callie's back. "Alright, Callie. Just relax and take some deep breaths for me."

"Got it."

"Breathe."

Callie did as she said while Dr. Inez listened carefully to her left lung, moving the chestpiece to different areas.

Callie sputtered as she released the air, trying to keep from coughing, which she didn't realize was breaking her moms' hearts as they watched her rebel against what her body was doing involuntarily. Lena took Stef's hand, clutching it with desperation; it took all of the restraint she had inside not to jump up and comfort her daughter.

"If you have to cough, do so. Don't worry. Round two, ready?"

"Yeah."

"Breathe...good. And a third, breathe...good."

"Okay, other side," Dr. Inez said to her coughing patient, preparing to examine her right lung this time. "Breathe...breathe...good. Last one, Callie. Breathe...good. We're done. I know that was uncomfortable, but you did very well." She placed her stethoscope back round her neck.

Stef and Lena had always appreciated that Dr. Inez made no apologies when it came to her work; medicine was serious business and sometimes it hurt. A bit of pain was worth risking so that a diagnosis could be made, whether it was a shot of medicine, anesthesia, a vaccine, or pressing on a possible injury site.

"So, what do you think this is, Celia?" Lena asked.

"I think Callie, here, has come down with a case of atypical pneumonia."

"Pneumonia?"

"Atypical?"

Both Stef and Lena questioned her simultaneously.

"Most commonly known as 'walking' pneumonia. Rein it in, Moms. Don't panic." She watched their expressions change as the somewhat familiar term registered with them. "It's a bacterial infection much like the pneumonia I know you're thinking of, but this is caused by mycoplasma, while most pneumonia is caused by gram-positive bacteria. I could send you out for blood work to confirm it, but I feel that's unnecessary. Callie's descriptions and clinical evidence tell the story. However," she continued, "I want her to have a chest x-ray taken; not because I think her lungs are bad, but because I want to make sure that all of our bases are covered. It's the final piece of the diagnostic puzzle, if you will."

Lena nodded. "Whatever you think is best."

"Is this bad?" Callie wondered out loud.

"Most cases are mild. Some people just feel rundown and lousy for awhile and don't even know they have it. Others, like you, develop more severe symptoms. They typically occur fifteen to twenty-five days after exposure, manifesting within two to four days, which is what has happened with you. I heard crackling in your lungs, like when you pour milk on Rice Krispies. Fluid is irritating the alveoli, or air sacs in your lungs, so they can't expand like they should, and that deep, bronchial cough of yours is another giveaway."

Stef spoke next. "Okay. So, what now? Antibiotics?"

Dr. Inez nodded. "Yes. This usually resolves on its own within a few weeks, but based on the exam, I do think that they are the appropriate option." She clicked her pen to write on her prescription pad. "300mg of erythromycin for ten days, twice a day, to be taken with food. Medicines like this can upset an empty stomach," she informed Callie and continued. "Start it tonight at dinner to get that ball rolling. I'll also write one for cough syrup, Pheneragan with codeine to be taken at bedtime so that not only Callie can sleep through the night, but also the rest of your brood, and two sleep-deprived moms will not benefit anyone." She tore the slips from her pad and handed them off to Lena. "You know what I'm going to say next. Lots of fluids, lots of rest. If her fever hits 102.2 or higher, call me. If she isn't improving within forty-eight hours, I want you to come back. If her temperature, chest pain, cough, or breathing suddenly worsens or if she becomes lethargic or confused, book it to the ER. This may be acute, but it is still pneumonia and should be taken seriously." She turned her attention to Callie. "Now, what I want you to do, young lady, is let your moms put you to bed so you can get some rest."

"That won't be a problem," Callie assured her. She felt like she needed to sleep for a month.

She chuckled. "Listen to them and do everything they tell you. You don't have to eat except for when you take your medicine, but they might have to force fluids on you. Staying hydrated is very important. I see you have sports drink with you; that's good. As long as it involves water, you can have it."

"When can I go back to school?"

"Usually, I would say after you've been on antibiotics for twenty-four hours, but I don't see you or your classmates getting much learning accomplished with that cough of yours. Take the rest of this week off and see how you feel on Monday."

The topic of school brought their four other children to Lena's mind. "What about the others? You said that Callie could have been carrying this around for a few weeks. Could they have this, also?"

"It's definitely possible, especially considering that Callie has been feeling fatigued for awhile. This is usually spread through prolonged contact with an infected person."

Suddenly, Callie got a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd never forgive herself if she got her moms and siblings sick. _I never should have hid this from them._

"You probably won't know until they become symptomatic, if at all. Keep an eye on them and if they do show signs, bring them in. Well, I think that about covers everything. Are there any other questions?" She looked around at the three of them. "No? Okay. If you think of something, don't hesitate to call, day or night, as always. I am going to call the radiology clinic and tell them to expect you there within the hour. Scripps Imaging on Calle Verde."

Stef nodded. "I know exactly where that is."

Dr. Inez lowered herself to Callie's eye level and spoke in a hushed voice, but was loud enough for Stef and Lena to hear. "I'm gonna let you in on some things, Callie: Mom #1," Dr. Inez said, pointing to Lena, "is going to worry so much that she'll worry about worrying. Have you ever heard of the term 'helicopter parent?'"

"Yeah."

"Now, picture what that looks like in your mind...and multiply it by one-thousand. Mom #2, here," she gestured to Stef, "is going to not only worry like crazy, but she's going to hover and watch you like a hawk. She will not let you out of her sight if she can help it. Don't be surprised if she's tempted to handcuff you to your bed or to herself, for that matter."

Callie chuckled at the thought as Stef was giving her a serious, but playful look.

"My point is, let them. They do it and act all _weird_ because they love you and they care. It's going to be frustrating, but you need to trust what I'm saying and how they choose to carry it out, that it's all with you in mind to get you well as soon as possible. Understand?"

Callie nodded. "Yeah."

"Thanks, Celia," Stef said, shaking her hand and Lena followed suit.

"Thanks, Dr. C."

"You're welcome. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't wanna have to see you back here until your follow-up appointment next week, okay?" She opened and held out a jar from the counter. "Have a sucker."

Callie reached in and chose a mystery-flavored candy.

"Ooh. Feeling adventurous today, are we?"

"You could say that."

"Hey. No adventures for you for awhile, missy," Stef reminded her, teasing.

"She's gonna be fine. Have a good one, all." Dr. Inez left and shut the door so they could gather their belongings.

Callie put her sweatshirt back on and Stef draped an arm around her as she led her out into the hall. "The clinic awaits, my dear."

About a half-hour later, Callie was in the x-ray room with her moms and the radiologist who was explaining the process. "Step up to the white line and place your chest against that board. You need to be absolutely still, okay? When the time comes, I want you to take a deep breath in and hold it until I say otherwise."

Callie groaned inwardly at that, basically guaranteed that a torrent of coughs was in her immediate future.

"That's all you have to do. Let's get started. Moms, if you could step out with me." They joined Dr. Morgan in the control room as Callie walked over to the board. He pushed a button and his voice was heard over the intercom. "Are you ready, Callie?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Take a deep breath in and hold it...shooting."

The machine whirred and clicked as the x-ray was taken.

"And relax. Let it out."

Callie coughed hard into her gown, stepping back from the board.

Dr. Morgan took a moment to examine the shot to make sure that it was clear. "It looks good, Callie. You did perfectly on the first try."

"Oh, there _is_ a God."

Dr. Morgan chuckled. "You can put your clothes back on now. We're done here." He released the button and turned to Stef and Lena as Callie went down the hall to go change. "We'll process and review this today and send it to Dr. Inez to confirm. She'll call you tomorrow with the results."

They thanked him and retrieved Callie. "You're ready for bed, aren't you, babe?" Stef asked knowingly; she could see that her daughter was completely spent.

"Mhm," Callie hummed with a slight whimper.

"Let's get you home."

* * *

 **A/N:** 'Walking' pneumonia, fun! I'm kidding. I've never had it, but I've heard that it's hell.

Feel free to review.


	6. Hard Truths

**A/N:** 50 reviews! Amazing! Thank you to everyone who's taken a second to leave a comment. I love reading your thoughts and responding when appropriate.

To **Guest** who said, "Hope she gets worse before better," don't you _almost_ feel bad for wishing that on a character? lol

It's also _almost_ Monday here, which means a new chapter for you all. Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - "Hard Truths"**

 **Wednesday - 3:07 PM**

The three of them went straight upstairs to Stef's and Lena's bedroom once they got inside. Lena pulled back the covers and Callie climbed in on Stef's side, moaning slightly as her head hit the pillows. Lena covered her up as she settled into the mattress and closed her eyes.

Stef and Lena gave her kisses. "We love you, honey," Lena said.

"Love you, too..."

Callie was fast asleep within five minutes; her pain was evident as she whimpered softly with every breath.

Stef and Lena went down to the kitchen and sat at the island.

Lena took in a shaky breath. "This is breaking my heart, Stef. She's so sick. She doesn't deserve this."

"I know, love." Stef took and kissed her hand, smoothing it with her thumb. "Me, too." She let herself fall against Lena.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until they heard voices coming up the walkway. They went to the front door to greet the other kids who'd returned from school.

"Hey, guys. Be quiet, Callie's sleeping," Lena said.

"Is she okay?" Mariana asked.

"What happened this morning?" Brandon wondered. "Why did she take off?"

"C'mon. We'll explain in the kitchen," Stef replied, ushering them to the wrap-around couch where they all stared back with concerned faces.

"Callie is sick. She ran because she didn't want us to know," Lena started.

"Why?" Mariana asked.

Stef was about to respond when Jude piped up. "Because..."

"Go ahead, Jude," she allowed.

"Because she doesn't like to be taken care of."

"But she's adopted now. She has moms to look out for her."

"Mariana, sweets, you know better than anyone how long it can take to fully trust people," Stef said, alluding to the girl's own struggles with accepting herself and Lena as her parents. "Everyone adjusts in their own time."

"This is still new for her," Lena added. "She's not used to having people care so much. The permanence of the adoption hasn't sunken in yet. She still feels like the rug can be pulled out from under her."

"But it's been six weeks," Mariana said.

Jesus glared at her. "Why are you getting so upset?"

"Because she's my sister. I felt that way long before the adoption."

"Okay, okay. Relax, you two. Take a breath," Lena ordered before the situation could escalate.

Stef spoke next. "Callie and Jude went to some foster homes that didn't care for them as they should have, so Callie is used to going through things alone. That's the only way she knows how to handle this."

"She'd do what she could for me when I got sick, but I couldn't do the same for her," Jude said softly and looked down at his lap.

Lena moved down to his eye level. "No one blames you, honey, so don't do it to yourself. You couldn't help it. Trusting us and letting herself be cared for are just some of the things that will take time for her to work through."

"So, what does she have?" Brandon asked.

"Mama and I took Callie to see Dr. C just now and she diagnosed her with walking pneumonia. It's a milder form of what you think pneumonia typically entails. It's medically known as atypical pneumonia because of what causes it: less common bacteria called mycoplasma." Stef explained.

"That sounds more like an intergalactic substance than a germ," Brandon remarked.

"It is mild for now, but it can turn into something worse," Lena continued. "It can take weeks before symptoms appear and sometimes they don't have any at all besides feeling tired. So, it is very important that you let us know if you feel unwell, no matter how seemingly insignificant. If you feel fatigued for more than a day or two or you think you have a headache, fever, or a sore throat, we need to know."

Stef followed her wife's lead. "Is that understood? This is not a joke. While it's not as bad as it could be, Callie is still very sick. Pneumonia is pneumonia no matter how you slice it. None of you have ever had a cough as bad as the one she is experiencing right now. It is relentless and painful. We're not trying to scare you; rather, we're stressing to you how serious this is. If you feel sick during school, don't hesitate to go to the nurse and ask for Mama. Are we clear?"

Everyone said 'yes.'

"Okay, good. Now, here are some new rules that are to be followed as Callie recovers. Any rule-breaking _will_ result in punishment, no exceptions. We don't mean to drop the hammer, but she'll be sleeping a lot over the next few days. Callie needs as much rest as she can get so that she can fight this infection," Stef stated gravely.

Lena took the ball that Stef was running with. "First: Absolutely no yelling. We don't care how mad you are, you _do not_ raise your voice. Period. That goes for Mom and me, too. Second: No slamming doors. See Rule #1. Again, we don't care how mad you are. You don't do it. Third: No running in the house because it's loud and a disturbance. Fourth: Follow rules one through three. As long as you do that, we won't have any problems."

"Now, Brandon, you and your band will have to practice somewhere else until we say otherwise. Got it?"

He nodded. "Understood, Mom. I'll let Lou and the guys know. We'll figure something out."

"Good boy. Any questions?"

"How long are these rules in place for?" Jesus asked.

"Until we say they're lifted and we just might keep them. Anything else?" Everyone was silent. "Okay. Go do your homework. Quietly."

All of the kids dispersed to get their backpacks, except for Jude.

"Moms?"

"What is it, bud?" Stef questioned, even though it was obvious why their youngest son lingered in the kitchen. "You're worried, aren't you?"

"Is Callie gonna be okay?"

"With rest, medicine, and time," Lena said. "We're gonna tell you the same thing we told her: worrying is _our_ job, not yours. We imagine that the cough and fatigue will probably stick around for awhile. It could be a few weeks, we don't know."

"Okay."

"Go start your homework."

Jude left to join the others.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Wednesday - 4:10 PM**

Stef glanced at the clock in the kitchen. "What do you wanna do for dinner?"

"We should order in." To Lena, the mere thought of cooking was already too taxing.

Stef went to a drawer and grabbed some take-out menus. She and Lena walked into the dining room where Jude, Mariana, and Brandon were hunched over textbooks. "Hey, guys. Take a break for a sec."

The three of them put their writing utensils down and sat up as Stef went to get Jesus from the living room. "Jesus? Would you come in the dining room, please?"

"We're just gonna order in tonight for dinner. Have a look at these and see what you'd prefer; we'll take a vote."

Everyone looked over the Thai, Chinese, Italian, and Mexican menus before deciding what they wanted.

"Alright. Let's vote. Thai?"

Only Lena raised her hand. "Well, looks like _that's_ out..."

"Chinese?"

Jude, Brandon, and Jesus all agreed.

"Well, since four out of six have voted, that's majority. Chinese it is, then."

They all busied themselves with picking out what they wanted. "Alright. It's settled: sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, pork fried rice, and egg r—" Lena paused as everyone turned their heads toward the stairs at the sudden noise. "Callie's awake."

" _That_ is Callie?" Mariana's mouth dropped open. "Wow. You really weren't kidding."

"No, we weren't, Miss Thing. I'll go see what she wants to eat." Stef went upstairs to find Callie having a few sips of Powerade. "Hey, sleepy." She made her way over to the bed.

"Hey."

"It's almost dinner time and we have to start your meds. What would you like to eat? Again, pretty much anything you want. Just say the word."

"A baked potato with butter."

"Let's add some veggies to that and we've got a deal."

"Sure."

"Coming right up," Stef said, turning to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot." She picked up a plastic bag that was on the dresser. "When I was out, I thought this would be a big help for not only you, but everyone else." She pulled out a box and brought it to her.

"Walkie-talkies?" She didn't understand.

"Yeah. We'll leave one here with you and us moms will have one on of both of us as well, along with a sibling of our choosing every day. This way, if you need something, you can just radio one of us so that you don't have to yell, saving what's left of that beautiful voice of yours."

"That's pretty smart, actually."

"Well, I certainly thought so." Stef opened the box and took out the set of four yellow radios. She put batteries in all of them, handing Callie one.

She turned it on, hearing static as she let go of the 'talk' button. "It works at least."

"Try it out. You're channel one, two is me, three is Lena, and four is either your brothers or sister."

Callie clicked the knob on top to channel two. "Hey."

"Hey yourself, kid. Alright. All systems are go," Stef said into hers and clipped it on to her jeans. "I'm gonna go pass the other two out and get your food."

"What are you guys eating?"

"We ordered Chinese."

Callie made a face; that heavy food was not appealing to her at all. "You can have it."

Stef laughed. "Okay. Just relax."

"Mom?"

She turned back around. "Yeah?"

"This might be an odd question, but...when did you know?"

"That you were sick? Um, yesterday morning. You didn't look well and I could tell your throat was hurting when you would drink your juice and wince. I had my suspicions the night before with the Tylenol and because you didn't eat dinner. You'd tense up when I came by."

"And I thought I was being so inconspicuous. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was hoping you would come to us, which, obviously, did not happen."

"And here I thought I could outsmart a cop. Pretty stupid, huh?" Callie looked down at the blankets, embarrassed.

Stef came over and put an arm around her, using her free hand to tip up her daughter's chin; Callie glanced at her. "Hey. You're certainly not the first person to try, especially in this house. It's my job to know how to read people so that I and others can be safe. Just don't hide something like this from us again." She kissed Callie's head. "I'm gonna go put in your order for the cook."

After Stef went downstairs, Callie decided to get up and use the bathroom. Just getting there and back felt like a marathon to her fatigued limbs. She climbed back into bed, coughing as she did so while realizing that she hadn't checked her phone all day. She glanced at the radio next to her and decided she might as well make use of it. She picked it up and spoke into it. "Hey, Mom?"

It took a second before Stef came on. "Yeah, Cal? What do you need?"

"When you come back up here, can you bring me my phone? It's in my room. I just went to the bathroom and back, but a second trip is a little much for right now."

"Sure thing. I'll bring your charger, too. Anything else?"

"No, that's it."

"Okay. I told you this was a good idea. Your food will be another few minutes. Over and out."

Callie stifled a laugh; Stef was such a dork.

As promised, Stef brought food and her phone, along with a white Walgreens paper bag which she assumed contained her prescriptions from the pharmacy.

"Food and meds first, then phone." Stef set the tray down in Callie's lap.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Alright, eat up." She sat down on the edge of the bed.

 _Dr. C wasn't kidding about the hovering._ "You're gonna watch me eat?"

"And keep you company."

Callie picked up the fork and took a bite of the soft, fluffy potato.

"Good?"

"Considering I have no appetite."

"Ooh, _ouch_." Stef pretended to be hurt.

"That's not what I meant," Callie amended, apologetic.

"It's okay. I know you're not hungry, but it's doctor's orders. Just have a few bites of each and you can be done."

Callie moved on to the vegetables, a mix of corn, carrots, peas, and green beans. She wasn't a fan of these. They required more chewing and did not go down her sore throat pleasantly. She drank a few gulps of ice water. "That water is nice."

Stef smiled a little bit. "I thought it would be."

Callie ate a few more bites of potato and veggies before she decided she was done. She put the tray to the side as Stef pulled out the contents of the paper bag: an orange prescription pill bottle and an amber-colored bottle of cough syrup with a dosage cup.

"Just the pill for now; we'll hold off on the cough syrup for a few more hours until it gets closer to bedtime."

Callie groaned. "But, it's right there. My relief is staring me in the face and you're telling me I can't have it?"

Stef knew that sometimes, saying no was for the best, even if it was unpopular. "We want to make sure you sleep through the night and you heard what Dr. C said."

"Fine," she sighed. She stopped to cough. "This is already getting really old. Oh, my God." Another round of coughs followed. "Shoot me, please."

"I'm so sorry, baby. I wish I could take this from you." Stef handed her the prescription bottle.

Callie couldn't help but smile as she read the label: **ADAMS FOSTER, CALLIE**

"What?"

"Just the label, my name."

Stef kissed her head. "That's right. You're ours now, in sickness and in health, currently in sickness."

"Ugh, as if I need reminding." Callie opened the bottle and shook out a pill. It was white and pretty big. "This will be fun to swallow." She placed it in her mouth, took a sip of water, and swallowed before she had a chance to taste it. She threw in one more drink to chase it down. She handed Stef the bottle and took her phone. The battery was almost dead, so she quickly checked through her texts, most of which were worried, frantic messages from Wyatt.

 _Where are you? Why aren't you at school?_

 _Are you alive?_

 _Hello?_

 _Did you fall into an abyss with no service?_

 _Earth to Callie_...

She sent him a quick text back. _Sorry. Sick as hell. Walking pneumonia. Battery's going, will text later._ She put her phone on silent and plugged it into the charger. "I'm dead. More sleep," Callie decided as she lay down and got comfortable.

"Okay, love." Stef kissed her head once more, pulling the covers up and around her. She picked up the tray and joined everyone else downstairs for dinner.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Wednesday - 8:20 PM**

Stef and Lena decided to wait until Callie woke up again before bringing out the air mattress and blowing it up next to the bed.

"Am I sleeping there?" Callie wondered, confused.

Stef shook her head. "Oh, no, my love. You are staying right there. _I_ am using it."

"I can just go back to my bed."

"Not another word about it, Callie. You are staying with us so we can keep an eye on you." Stef went to get extra blankets and pillows from the closet. "There. I'm all set."

Callie coughed. "I'm _really_ ready for bed, Mom. Can I have my cough syrup now?"

Stef felt her forehead. "Let's take your temperature first." She did so. "The same. 101.7."

"I guess that's good."

"Alright, time for the knockout punch," Stef announced as she opened the bottle of liquid. "Do you want to say good night to everyone?"

"Yeah."

Stef used her radio. "Lena, tell the kids they can come say good night to Callie."

"Got it."

The four of them plus Lena came in and gave Callie hugs. "Good night, guys."

"Sleep well, lovebug." Lena kissed her head.

"That's the plan. Good night."

They all left except for Stef who was pouring Callie a dose of cough syrup. "Here we are. Drink up."

Callie did and handed the cup back to her. "'Night, Mom. Love you."

"You, too, baby. Have a good, long sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. I'm working nights so I can be home during the day."

"Okay..."

Stef smoothed Callie's hair before turning off the lamp and leaving her to rest.

* * *

 **A/N:** You're a wonderful audience. Keep the reviews/follows/favorites coming.


	7. Changes

**A/N:** I can't thank you all enough for your interest in this. I appreciate all of your feedback so much. Stef is my favorite character and Stef/Callie is my favorite relationship on the show, so I gravitate toward her and that dynamic.

However, as I am writing more stories (got some angsty/dramatic stuff that I think you guys and new readers will like; I'm really enjoying writing them, it's new territory for me, but very creatively fulfilling; I have a bigger repertoire besides sickfic/fluff), I am trying to feature Lena more.

Writing her is more difficult than Stef for me. But, I am working on finding that balance when appropriate as they are both her moms (it's finally canon, yay!) and parents and including them both makes stories better.

All traces of _Harry Potter_ in this chapter are the sole property of JK Rowling, i.e., I don't own it.

We're finally leaving Wednesday behind and proceeding into Thursday. Enjoy, guys.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - "Changes"**

 **Wednesday - 10:47 PM**

"Stef, she's fine. Let's get some sleep," Lena said as she set her book aside, ready to turn off the light.

Stef was sitting up on the air mattress just watching Callie. She observed how her daughter's face was slightly wrinkled as she inhaled shallow breaths, which became barely audible moans of discomfort.

"I know," Stef replied quietly. "Good night, love." She lay down and closed her eyes.

"Good night." Lena turned off the lamp.

Stef stayed awake for a little while longer, allowing Callie's breathing to lull her to sleep.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Thursday - 8:02 AM**

Callie opened her heavy eyelids to see the dimly-lit bedroom before her, groaning a little. She yawned which brought on a few coughs. She was not pleased that the medicine was wearing off. She sat up to take off her sweatshirt before going to the bathroom. When she came back out, Stef was waiting for her.

"Hey, you. How'd you sleep?"

"That stuff is a miracle in a bottle," Callie enthused, climbing back into bed, starting her first cough attack of the day.

Stef reached for her forehead. "How do you feel?"

"The same," she sighed.

"How about some breakfast?"

Callie knew she didn't have a choice. "Sure. Scrambled eggs and toast."

Stef left for the kitchen and Callie reached for her phone to check her texts. Wyatt had replied to her.

 _Dude, that sucks. When will you be back at school?_

 _Not 'til Monday at the earliest_ , Callie sent back.

They replied back and forth for a few minutes.

 _Can I come see you soon?_

 _Depends on what my moms say._

 _Alright, cool. So, do you feel like death?_

 _You have NO idea...all I want to do is sleep. I'm being force-fed because I'm not allowed to take my meds without food._

 _Sounds like torture._

 _Basically. How's class without me?_

 _Boring. Save me._

 _lol I wish I could_.

Stef came into the room with a tray of eggs, toast, and orange slices.

 _Food's here. I'll be around later_ , Callie told Wyatt as she set her phone down.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Sure thing," she said as she took the other half of the orange and cut out sections and ate them.

Callie had some water and eggs before moving on to the toast and orange.

"Were you talking to Wyatt?"

Yeah," she chuckled. "He's bored without me."

"Awww, the poor thing," Stef teased.

"Can he visit soon?" Of course, her lungs picked the perfect moment to act up and there she was, coughing like mad and it was obvious what the answer would be.

"When you can stay awake for more than fifteen minutes at a time, maybe," Stef said, smoothing Callie's back and passing her the glass of water.

"True," she agreed and reached for the pill bottle, shaking one out and swallowing it. She handed the tray over to Stef to lie down again.

"I'll be around if you need anything."

"'Kay." Callie shut her eyes and fell back to sleep.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Thursday - 3:35 PM**

"Screw you, dude! You're such an asshole!" Jesus shouted, shutting the door as everyone filed in before him, back from school.

" _Jesus. Armando. Adams. Foster_."

Jesus gulped as Stef came in from the living room, livid. Everyone else took the opportunity to scatter from the scene as quietly as possible. "Mariana, go check and see if your brother woke Callie up, please."

She did so and poked her head out from the top of the stairs. "No, he didn't."

"Thank you, love." Her voice was _too_ calm. " _You_. Get in the car. _Now_." Stef went to the kitchen to grab her keys.

Stef and Jesus drove two blocks down the street before she decided to suddenly park on the curb. "What the hell, Mom? You can't just—"

"Were Mama and I not clear yesterday on the rules we set?"

"No."

"Did we speak too fast? Did we lapse into Russian or something?"

"No."

"Then, please explain to me why you are yelling and slamming doors when we _expressly told you not to_!" Stef yelled.

Jesus hung his head. "I...I wasn't thinking."

Stef nodded. "That's right. You _weren't_ thinking. You weren't thinking about anyone but you, and _c_ _ertainly_ not about your very ill sister."

"I-I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you are. You are very fortunate that she was not awoken or this would be much worse, I promise you. Regardless, you are grounded. One week. School and home, that's it."

"What? I was gonna go to the movies with the guys tomorrow!"

"Well, that's just too bad, my friend. You broke the rules and there are consequences. When we tell you not to do something, it's not a suggestion; it's an order."

"Whatever," Jesus sighed, looking out the window.

"Hey! Do you wanna double your fun? I can make it two weeks, just like that," Stef snapped. "That's where you're headed if you don't watch yourself, young man."

"No," he sighed again.

"And don't go running to Mama, either. We both agreed that whatever either of us dealt would be followed. Do you understand?"

"Fine. Can we go now?"

Stef exhaled sharply and turned around to go back to the house. "Go do your homework," she told Jesus and he went upstairs.

The front door opened as Lena walked in.

"Hey, you're home early," Stef remarked from the couch. Lena sat down and they kissed. "I just had to punish Jesus."

"What did he do?"

"Yelled and slammed the door after getting home from school."

It was Lena's turn to sigh. "That kid..."

"Grounded for a week. Would've been more if he woke up Callie."

"How is she?"

"About the same: tired, feverish, and coughing up a storm. I'm keeping her hydrated."

"How long has she been asleep?"

"Since around one."

"Well, that's something, at least."

"How was your day?"

"Fine. Long. I'm glad to be home," Lena replied as she kicked off her high heels, the two of them relaxing together while they had the chance.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Thursday - 4:19 PM**

Jude had volunteered to be around in case Callie needed something, all in the name of keeping the rest of the house running smoothly and to give his moms a break. He was doing science homework, but decided to check on her.

Jude crept in to Stef's and Lena's bedroom and saw that Callie was asleep. He'd never seen his sister's skin so pale; she looked terrible.

The last time he'd seen her sick was not long after they'd landed at their fourth home, about two years before the Fosters took them in. Their foster parents were neglectful; they spent most of their income on alcohol, which didn't leave much left over for food. Callie went to bed hungry most nights, but she always made sure he ate, usually granola bars that she nicked from the school cafeteria. They were easy to conceal among the crowd of students and busy lunch ladies cashing them out.

Being only ten at the time, he couldn't really do anything for his sister except sneak her some water and ibuprofen for her aches and fever once Darrell and Jan were passed out. Looking back on it now, he didn't know why he was so afraid to get caught; they barely acknowledged him or Callie the majority of the time. They didn't even realize that Callie hadn't left her bed for three days; she didn't go to school. He didn't want to leave her alone, but Callie made him go, because at least he'd get a free lunch there.

Jude gently felt her forehead, finding it to be warm and clammy. He quickly pulled his hand away when he saw her begin to stir.

Callie groaned and opened her eyes. "Hey."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just checking on you."

"S'okay. Wha'time is it?" she wondered, her voice hoarse and heavy from sleep.

"Almost 4:30."

Callie turned to cough into her pillow. She groaned again, louder this time. "I feel like shit. Don't tell Moms I said that," she urged him, chuckling. "Forgot—can't laugh," she added between more coughs.

Jude handed her a glass of Cherry 7up that was on the bedside table. Callie sat up a little and drank some. "Thanks."

"Sure. Do you need anything?"

Callie's eyes lit up slightly. "You know, there _is_ something you could do for me."

"Name it."

"Go get my copy of _Chamber of Secrets_. It's on my nightstand."

"Okay."

Colleen had read the first installment of the _Harry Potter_ series to them, but there wasn't a way to keep books as they moved around so much after the accident. Callie had forgotten about it until she settled in at the Fosters. Stef and Lena saw her with a school library copy of _Sorcerer's Stone_ one day and surprised her with a set of all seven books the night of her adoption. She was touched by their thoughtfulness; it wasn't the last of the happy tears she shed that day.

Jude returned with the book, but Callie stopped him when he tried to hand it to her.

"Read it to me, will you? It's boring up here in quarantine." She didn't see the point of going back to sleep when she'd be woken up to eat dinner soon, anyway.

"Sure."

Jude went to Lena's side of the bed and climbed on next to Callie who rolled over to face him, opening it and beginning where she last left off.

"Chapter Nine: 'The Writing on the Wall _.'_

 _'What's going on here? What's going on?'_

 _Attracted no doubt by Malfoy's shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd._ "

"Wait," Callie said. "Mrs. Norris was like, dead at this point, right?"

Jude nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, go ahead."

" _Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror_. . . ."

Lena went upstairs to go get Jude, dinner was ready. She heard voices and laughter coming from her bedroom.

"... _She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them._

 _'_ All _the copies of_ Hogwarts, A History _have been taken out,' she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron. 'And there's a two-week waiting list. I_ wish _I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books.'_

 _'Why do you want it?' said Harry._

 _'The same reason everyone else wants it,' said Hermione, 'to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.'_

 _'What's that?' said Harry quickly._

 _'That's just it. I can't remember,' said Hermione, biting her lip._

Hey, Mama." Jude stopped reading to greet Lena who'd entered.

"Hey. It's dinner time. Come on downstairs."

Jude wanted to stay; he was having fun with his sister. "Can I eat up here?"

"Yeah, can he? Please?" Callie was willing to play the sympathy card, knowing that Lena would give in.

"Alright. We'll bring you up a plate. What do you want to eat, Callie?"

"What are you all having?"

"Chicken, sweet potatoes, and salad."

"Chicken and potatoes is fine."

"Alright. Just a minute."

Lena left and Stef came up with their food.

Callie was sitting up, in the middle of a coughing fit, but she wasn't too distressed; Jude was laughing.

Stef smiled as she gave them their plates. "What's so funny?"

"I was just telling Jude a story about Kiara when I first met her at GU."

"Oh?"

"Just how at another group home, she broke a girl's nose by kicking her in the face: _'Like, I didn't mean to. She was on the ground and I was kickin' her.'_ "

Stef was not amused.

"I guess you just had to be there," Callie mumbled, looking down.

"Uh-huh. Jude, you'll come down and help clean up after you're done eating, yes? You and Brandon are on dish duty."

"Okay."

"Now, eat. _Especially you_ , Cal. Then, take your pill and go back to sleep."

"That's all I've _been_ doing," Callie sighed.

"Well, get used to it. You're a long way off from healthy, I'm afraid. Rest is the most important thing for you right now."

"I know," she sighed a second time.

Stef left Callie and Jude to themselves. When they were finished eating, Callie swallowed her medicine and lay down. "Thanks for hanging out with me," she murmured, already half-asleep due to fatigue.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"You're a good brother."

"Well, a good sister showed me how."

Callie just smiled.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Thursday - 8:34 PM**

Stef knocked lightly on her bedroom door. "Hey, Callie."

"Hey."

"You ready for bed?"

"Yeah." She coughed and groaned.

Stef handed her the bottle of cough syrup and the dosage cup. Callie swallowed the liquid and burrowed under the covers, shivering.

"I came to say good night." She tucked some hair behind her daughter's ear. "My shift starts at eleven; you will be long asleep by then."

"Okay."

Stef turned to leave.

"...Mom?"

"Hm?"

"Stay? Un-until I fall asleep, maybe?" She didn't want to admit it, but just knowing the blonde was home made her feel better in a way nothing else could.

"Of course, sweetheart." Stef climbed in next to Callie and rubbed circles along her back. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom. Be safe."

"I will, baby. Get some rest."

* * *

 **A/N:** Excerpts are taken from pages 140, 147, and 148 of _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ by JK Rowling _,_ US Edition.

 **Behind the Story** **:**

The Callie/Jude stuff was added last. This chapter was good, but I knew I could do better. I wanted to give them some backstory since the writers have not given us much info about their previous foster homes. I've shown that Jude's been worried about Callie and I think it's only natural that he'd want to take care of her any way her can. The two of them are experiencing some things for the first time: Jude letting the moms take the reins with Callie's illness, Callie truly letting her walls down, and even something as simple as reading _Harry Potter_ , which signifies what foster care stole from them. Even though the books and movies are no longer new for a lot of people, they're "new" and exciting for them. They're getting to really just _be kids_ without all of this weight on their shoulders and uncertainty hanging around.

Don't hesitate to leave your thoughts. I'll update again soon.


	8. Spike

**A/N:** I'd like to give my continued thanks to everyone for your interest and feedback. It means a lot. :)

Since I added in that Callie/Jude stuff, I cut this out and put it here instead, which means you get a bonus chapter. Yay!

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - "Spike"**

 **Friday - 7:17 AM**

Stef entered the house through the back door; Lena was almost done cooking breakfast, but no one else was in the kitchen.

"Hey, babe. How was your shift?" They kissed and Lena returned her attention to the pancakes on the stove.

"Fine. I sure got my workout in; we had to chase this guy three blocks before we caught and stuffed him in the squad car. Was Callie alright?" Stef poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, she's slept this whole time. But..."

That was not what Stef wanted to hear. "But, what?"

"Her fever's up. I checked it around eleven and it was 102 flat."

"Okay. Did anything else seem off?"

"No."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Stef, you were at work. I wasn't gonna bother you with this; you'd just worry and you know you have to stay focused out there."

She sighed, knowing Lena was right. "Good to know. I'll keep an eye on it and tell you if anything changes. G'morning, Miss Thing. You're early," Stef greeted Mariana as she stepped down into the kitchen.

"Well, it's amazing what can happen with one less person trying to get in the bathroom." She reached for the orange juice.

Brandon was next to appear. "How's Callie?"

"Still _really_ tired," Lena answered. "She needs _a lot_ of sleep to get over this." She brought a plate of finished pancakes to the table and set them down.

"I hope she's better soon, the room's kinda lonely without her," Mariana remarked as she put butter and syrup on her pancakes.

"She'll be back to one-hundred percent before we know it," Lena responded with a small smile as the unfortunately familiar sound of Callie's coughs were heard. "It sounds like she's awake."

"I'll go check on her." Stef rose from the table and went upstairs. "Good morning, love. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine." A second throe of coughs came storming in, ripping at her throat and lungs.

"Lena took your temp last night and it was up. How do you feel?"

"The same."

"Are you sure?" Stef felt her forehead and couldn't tell if she felt a difference in her temperature.

"Yes."

"Okay. Let us know if anything feels worse, no matter what it is. How about some pancakes for breakfast?"

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Friday - 1:36 PM**

Stef was lying next to Callie on the bed, watching her sleep. The teen still moaned in pain when she breathed, but there was a small reprieve in that she wasn't coughing. She was currently fighting off a bout of chills, shivering continuously, despite already being under two blankets in addition to her moms' comforter.

Stef gently repeated the process of brushing stray hairs off of her daughter's forehead. For the blonde, there was almost nothing worse than seeing one of her children sick or in pain. She hated feeling so powerless over the illness that had a stranglehold on Callie.

Sleep vanished for Callie as quickly as it came. Her eyes flew open as coughs shook her entire body. Stef was right there, immediately rubbing small circles on her back as the fit took over, and the brunette was relieved that she wasn't alone.

Stef got up and went around to Callie's other side, having her sit up and drink water. She felt her daughter's skin and was troubled by how warm it felt. "Your fever's still going up, love. I'm gonna check it." Stef did so and she felt anxiety creep in as a result. "102.3. Looks like we've gotta call Dr. C. Are you absolutely sure nothing feels different? Nothing at all?"

" _Yes_ , I'm sure. I think I know how my own body feels," she retorted.

"Hey, none of that, now." Stef picked up the cordless phone and dialed Dr. Inez' practice.

"Mission Bay Pediatrics. This is Renee."

"Hello, Renee. It's Stef Adams Foster. Is Dr. Inez available? I need to speak with her."

"I believe she's taken a late lunch, but she's in her office. One second."

"Okay, thank you."

The receptionist transferred the call.

"Hey, Celia. It's Stef."

"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks. You told us to call if Callie's fever went up; it's hit 102.3."

"Just now?"

"Yeah. Around eleven last night it was 102."

"Has she been alright otherwise?"

"Yes, she's been eating, drinking, and getting lots of rest. She swears that she doesn't feel worse."

"Is she awake? May I speak with her?"

"Yeah, of course." Stef held the phone out to Callie. "Dr. C wants to talk to you."

Callie took the phone from her. "Hey, Dr. C."

"Hi, Callie. How are you feeling?"

"The same, I swear. I'm tired and coughing."

"Nothing hurts worse? Not your head, chest, neck, or cough?"

"No, I promise."

"Okay, give the phone back to your mom." Callie did so.

"Alright, Stef. Just ride this out for now. Fever and shifting vital signs are part of the healing process. If it goes up any higher, call. If Callie starts to feel worse, go to the ER. Thank you for letting me know."

"Of course. Have a good day."

"You, too."

Stef hung up and relayed Dr. C's instructions to Callie before she left her to sleep, giving her wife an update.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Friday - 5:51 PM**

Callie left the bathroom and went downstairs where everyone was cleaning up after dinner.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Lena asked, drying her hands on a dish towel.

"Can you guys come here for a second?" Callie nodded at her moms.

Stef immediately wore a look of concern. "What is it, baby? Are you okay?" She didn't know why she bothered asking; Callie looked white as a ghost except for the spots of color high on her cheeks. She seemed dead on her feet and her breathing was noticeably labored; that was new. Stef didn't like it one bit.

"Just...come here."

Stef and Lena followed her to the dining room.

"I don't...feel so good," she admitted quietly, suddenly very interested in the rug on the floor.

Stef put her palm to Callie's skin that felt much warmer than earlier. "Lena, she's burning up. You don't feel so good, how?"

"My chest hurts. It feels like...someone's stabbing me with an ice pick...every time I inhale."

"When did this start?" Lena asked.

"Like, a half-hour ago."

"Why didn't you come get us sooner?"

"You guys were having dinner and I...wanted to take a shower."

"Anything else?"

"My cough really hurts."

Stef took a deep breath. "Okay. Lena, go get the thermometer. I'm gonna call Mike and have him come over to watch the kids. We'll head over to UCSD as soon as he gets here. You sit down and stay put," she told Callie, pulling out a chair for her.

Lena went upstairs and Stef went to the kitchen to tell the kids what was going on.

"Okay, guys. Listen up. We have to take Callie to the emergency room."

"What?" came from Brandon.

"Why?" came from Jude.

"She has a high fever and her chest pain is worse. Mike is coming over to watch you guys while we're gone. He is in charge. If there is any misbehavior, you will be punished. Understood?"

They did.

Stef went back to the dining room to call Mike. "Hey, Mike. I need a favor."

"Okay, shoot."

"I need you to come over while Lena and I take Callie to the ER."

"Sure. What ER?"

"UCSD. How soon can you get here?"

"About fifteen minutes. Should I plan to stay overnight?"

"That might be a good idea. It could be busy or their lab could get backed up."

"Okay, thank you."

"No thanks needed. I'll be right there."

"Bye."

Lena returned downstairs with their things and the thermometer. She turned it on and put the tip in Callie's ear. "102.9."

Stef gave Callie her flip flops which she slipped on over her socks. She helped Callie put on a sweatshirt.

Callie began to cough, her breaths sounding desperate as she sucked air in. " _Ow_ ," she whimpered, rubbing her chest.

"Lena, I don't think we should wait," Stef said, her brows furrowed with worry. "We should go now."

"Okay. Kids, we're leaving!" Lena said.

They all filed in to see the trio off. Jude came over to give Callie a hug.

"I'll be okay...Moms will be with me."

"Alright. We love you. Be good," Lena said.

The three of them left and got in the car, heading for the hospital.

* * *

 **A/N:** All of you who wanted Callie to get worse; you got your wish. This story was basically done when I started posting it, so this has been written for awhile. But, I enjoyed reading those reviews since I knew what was coming, haha.

I will update again soon!


	9. Remedy

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone for your votes. The results will be revealed soon.

I borrowed some characters from ER (Abby Lockhart, Jerry Markovic, Susan Lewis, Nick Cooper, Malik McGrath, and Cleo Finch) and a character from HawthoRNe (Kelly Epson). I also borrowed a few pieces of dialogue from an episode of ER: 10x03 - Dear Abby. I don't own any part of either show. I'm still not a doctor.

 **Medical terms:**

"Sat" \- Oxygen saturation percent; the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Bibasilar \- At the bases of both lungs.

UA \- Urinalysis; an examination of the urine to determine the general health of the body and, specifically, kidney function, usually including measurement of pH, tests for protein, glucose, ketones, and blood.

CBC \- Complete Blood Count; a blood panel that gives information about the cells in a patient's blood, such as the cell count for each cell type and the concentrations of various proteins and minerals.

Chem-7 \- Provides key information regarding fluid and electrolyte status, kidney function, blood sugar levels, and response to various medications and other medical therapies. Tests for levels of sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and glucose.

Blood culture \- A laboratory test to check for bacteria or other microorganisms in a blood sample;

"times two" \- done twice

"Pulse ox" \- Pulse oximetry. A procedure used to measure the oxygen level in the blood. It is considered to be a noninvasive, painless, general indicator of oxygen delivery to the peripheral tissues.

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - "Remedy"**

 **Friday - 6:17 PM**

 _University of California - San Diego Medical Center_

Stef, Lena, and Callie all walked into the ER and went directly to the triage desk. Luckily, there was no line.

"How may I help you?" asked the nurse behind the glass.

"Our daughter is sick. She was diagnosed with walking pneumonia two days ago and is getting worse," Stef replied.

"I see. What is your chief complaint?" she asked Callie.

"My chest hurts when I inhale...it feels like I'm being stabbed," Callie answered, then coughed. Both Stef and Lena tried to soothe her, looking helplessly at the nurse.

"Okay. Fill this out and bring it back." She handed over a clipboard and a pen.

They sat down and filled out the sheet with Callie's name, address, medical complaints, and other information before bringing it back to the nurse.

"Come on back here and I will triage her symptoms." The ER doors that separated the waiting area from the main floor were buzzed open and the nurse directed them to some seats. She brought over some equipment and began to assess Callie's vitals. "I'm Abby, by the way."

She checked her blood pressure first. "95/60; a bit low." Next came the oral thermometer. "103."

She unwrapped her stethoscope from around her neck and moved to her back, placing the chestpiece there to listen to her left lung. "Breathe for me, Callie."

She did and coughed. Abby repeated it and moved to the right. "Well, the right lung seems to be worse off than the left. Do you have a previous history of pneumonia before Wednesday, Callie?"

"No."

"Any history of chronic respiratory problems, like asthma?"

"No."

"How long have you had this cough?"

"...Tuesday."

"Any aches or chills? Fatigue?"

"Yeah."

"Has anyone else been sick at home?"

"No," Stef said.

Abby clipped a pulse oximeter on her index finger and waited for a reading. When it was done, the result flashed and the machine beeped. "88, not so good. Callie, the amount of oxygen in your blood is low, which can happen with infection. Jerry, what's open?" she called out to a tall, bearded man at the admit desk who looked her way.

"Exam Two."

"Okay, I'm taking this one back," she informed him, standing. "If you'll follow me, please."

Abby led them behind the admit desk to a room with an open bed that was surrounded by others. A doctor walked by and Abby got her attention. "Dr. Lewis? This is Callie and her moms. Chest pain, shortness of breath, sat's 88, bibasilar rales. Diagnosis of walking pneumonia two days ago."

The blonde woman introduced herself. "Hi. I'm Dr. Susan Lewis."

"I'm Lena Adams Foster and this is my wife, Stef."

"Alright. Let's take a listen, shall we?" Callie sat on the edge of the bed and Dr. Lewis used her stethoscope to examine Callie's lungs. "Breathe."

"What are rales?" Callie wondered.

"It's the sound fluid makes when it's in your lungs."

"Uh-oh."

"Yeah, you're pretty sick. We're gonna take care of you."

Abby said, "Let me get you some stools." She retrieved two for Stef and Lena who sat down.

"We're gonna take some blood and see what we're dealing with. Does Callie have a pediatrician?" Dr. Lewis asked.

"Yes, that's who she saw on Wednesday. Dr. Inez, Celia Inez," Lena answered.

"Okay. Let's get Callie a gown and on a monitor. I want a UA, CBC, Chem-7, blood cultures times two, and a chest film. Start an IV with one-hundred of saline and 500mg of acetaminophen, we've gotta watch for dehydration. Let's give Callie some oxygen to get her pulse ox up; five liters by nasal cannula."

Abby wrote down the orders and went to submit them. Callie gave a urine sample and Abby helped her wrap the tubing of the cannula around her ears and hair. Stef had to look away as she drew Callie's blood in a tube and inserted an IV in her left hand. Abby started the drip and used a syringe to inject the bag with the requested fever reducer. "You guys just hang tight, okay?"

"Relax, honey. We're right here," Lena said as she took Callie's hand.

She nodded wearily, closing her eyes.

"I'm gonna go call Mike and give him an update," Stef declared as she stood and walked out into the hall with her cell phone. "Hey, Mike. Just calling to update you. We've been seen by the doctor who has Callie in a bed with IV fluids while we wait for her test results. How are the kids?"

"They're fine, worried," Mike answered.

"Tell them that we've seen the doctor and not to worry, okay?"

"Sure."

"Thanks again, Mike."

"Sure thing. Tell Callie that we're thinking of her."

"I will. I'll keep you in the loop. Bye."

Stef returned to Lena and Callie, the latter of whom was coughing. A young man in a white coat walked up. "Hi, Callie. I'm Nick Cooper. I'm going to examine you. Now—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on," Stef interrupted, looking him up and down. "Are you a medical student?"

Nick was intimidated by Stef's stare. "Y-yes," he nodded.

Stef saw Dr. Lewis with another patient and called her over. "Dr. Lewis? Why is my daughter being examined by a cadet who's not even out of the academy?"

"She's a...police officer," Callie informed her, amused at the situation that was unfolding.

"My daughter's not a guinea pig; I would prefer that she be examined by you."

" _Stef_ ," Lena warned, but it fell on deaf ears.

Dr. Lewis was not fazed by Stef's outburst. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Adams Foster, but this is a teaching hospital. Mr. Cooper is here to learn. He will be completing a full history and physical on Callie. He knows to report directly to me with his findings. Just relax and let us do our jobs so we can help your daughter. It's much easier this way."

Stef exhaled and complied, sitting back down.

Nick went ahead and took down Callie's recent medical history and examined her much like Dr. Inez had done previously before leaving the three of them.

About a half hour later, Abby came to take Callie to Radiology for her chest x-ray.

Callie groaned as she sat up and swung her legs over the bed as Abby hung her IV bag on a wheelchair's hook. Callie sat in it while she fixed her oxygen. "Okay. We will be back in a few," Abby informed them as she wheeled her away and in to the elevator.

"So, how long have you been with your moms?" Abby asked Callie, trying to make conversation as they waited for the radiologist.

"About fifteen months. My brother's adoption was finalized seven...seven months ago and it's been six weeks for me. Legal crap."

"I see. They seem really great. I can tell they love you a lot."

"Yeah, they are. It feels like we've known them a lot longer."

"Your mom Stef is..."

"Intense?"

Abby chuckled. "That's one word for it."

"She's just worried about me. They both are."

A man in gray scrubs came out to them. "Callie Adams Foster?"

Even in these circumstances, she couldn't help but smile a little at him saying her name. She'd never tire of hearing it. "That's me."

Abby wheeled her inside the x-ray suite and brought her out when they finished, retracing their steps to the elevator to go back to the ER.

"I feel bad because...I didn't tell them I was sick right away...and now this happened," Callie sighed, coughing.

"We all make mistakes, Callie. It's okay."

"This is all so expensive, though. I hate that they have to pay for it. If I was still in foster care, the state would be picking up the tab."

"Believe me when I tell you that is the _last_ thing your moms are worried about. They just want you to get better. You can't put a price on a clean bill of health."

"I guess you're right."

Once they got to the bottom floor, Callie settled back into bed.

"We'll let you know when your test results come back, okay?" Abby said and left to tend to other patients.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you guys sooner, then maybe—"

"Oh, no, stop right there, Callie. You do not need to apologize for being sick." Stef stood and kissed her head, brushing hair out of her daughter's face.

"But—"

"Shhh. How about you take a nap, hm? It looks like we're gonna be in for a bit of a wait."

"Okay," Callie huffed lightly, coughing again. She closed her eyes.

Stef and Lena observed the bustling emergency department. Paramedics had brought in multiple critical patients that they saw being wheeled past on their way to the trauma rooms. There were people and patients of all ages: kids, adults, the elderly, and even a few drunks 'sleeping it off.'

Abby stopped by once in awhile to check on their daughter.

"Is everything alright, Callie?"

The girl's eyes were closed as she wrestled with severe chills, shivering audibly, teeth chattering.

"Can you please bring her another blanket?" Lena requested, almost pleading.

Abby saw how stressed and powerless the two women looked as they watched Callie suffer. "I'll do you one better." She returned from central supply with a warming blanket, draping it over her patient.

Callie visibly relaxed almost immediately after the layer of heat was applied. "Thanks, Abby," she exhaled, breathing a bit easier as she felt the tension release its hold throughout her body.

Stef's and Lena's eyes expressed their sincere gratitude as the nurse's action brought their daughter some relief.

"You're welcome. Let me know if there's anything else I can do. Her results should be in soon," she told Stef and Lena.

Dr. Lewis returned with a large envelope about an hour later. "Based on the tests, Callie has full-blown bacterial pneumonia. She tested positive for _streptococcus pneumoniae_. You can see that there are infiltrates here and here," Dr. Lewis held up the chest x-ray to the light and pointed to two areas of Callie's lungs.

Lena kissed Callie's head sympathetically at the news.

"Her chest x-ray on Wednesday did not look anything like that," Stef remarked, mentally comparing this new one with the old scan that they'd seen on their laptop. She was surprised that Callie had worsened so quickly.

"Pneumonia can be tricky. I'm sure she presented atypically; I don't blame her doctor for the initial diagnosis," Dr. Lewis stated. "I'm going to start Callie on some IV antibiotics, ampicillin. I'd like her to be admitted at least overnight."

Callie looked a little nervous at the prospect of staying at the hospital.

"It's okay, love. Everyone just wants you well as soon as possible," Stef soothed.

"I'm gonna call Pediatrics and find Callie a bed upstairs." Dr. Lewis left them.

"You're gonna be fine, Callie. Pneumonia can be stubborn, that's all," Abby tried to reassure her and went to go get the medicine.

Dr. Lewis came back after a few minutes. "They'll have a bed ready in about fifteen minutes."

Abby hung the bag of ampicillin and a nurse named Malik came with a wheelchair to take Callie to her room. "She's going to 3 South, Malik. Feel better, Callie," Dr. Lewis said and gave Stef and Lena admission paperwork to tackle.

"You go, honey. I'll handle this," Lena told her wife.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go with Callie. I'll see you in a bit, sweetheart," Lena promised, giving her a hug.

"Okay, Mama," Callie said, smiling. "I love you."

Lena was slightly startled by Callie's words. "I...love you, too. So much. I'll be right there."

Stef gave Lena a tight hug and kiss before following Callie to the elevator.

Once Callie was wheeled into her room, a petite, brunette nurse entered and introduced herself. "Hi, Callie. I'm Kelly. I'll be your nurse tonight. I presume that you're Mom?"

"My wife will be here soon, she had to fill out Callie's admission paperwork," Stef advised her.

"Ah, gotcha." She picked up Callie's chart that was on a rack at the foot of the bed and flipped through it. "So, pneumonia, huh? That's no fun."

"Duh."

"Callie, don't be rude," Stef chided her.

"Sorry."

"It's no biggie. I've heard worse." Kelly checked to make sure the IV drips were working properly and checked Callie's temperature, recording it on her chart. "102.6. If you need to use the bathroom, just ask for me and I'll help you with your IV, okay?"

Callie nodded and Kelly left. Callie decided to text Wyatt to tell him that she was in the hospital.

 _So...I'm in the hospital. There's a horse painted on my wall._

 _OMG, really? Are you okay?_

 _Yeah, just sick. They say if I do well, I can go home tomorrow._

 _That's good and also sucks._

 _lol Yeah. I'm gonna go, I'm tired. ttyl_

Callie set her phone down and coughed. Stef was there beside her, smoothing her back until she settled. "This sucks, Mom," she whined, resting her head on the older woman's shoulder.

"I know, babe. These new meds are gonna make you feel much better. Your temp's already coming down. Here's Mama." Stef smiled as Lena entered. "Hey, love. Is everything squared away?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Lena turned her attention to Callie. "Hi, slug-a-bug. Are you okay?"

"Mhm. We missed you."

"I missed you both, too." Lena checked her watch. "Stef, it's 9:45, you have to work."

Stef looked at Callie; it pained her to have to leave. "I know," she sighed. "I have to go home and change. I'll update everyone about what's going on here and tell them you say 'good night.' Be good and get some sleep, my love. I will be back in the morning." She peppered Callie's forehead with kisses and they hugged.

"Love you, Mom."

"Love you, too, baby."

Stef turned to hug and kiss Lena good bye. "Be safe."

"I always am." Stef blew Callie one last kiss before leaving.

Soon after, a cot was delivered so that Lena could spend the night in Callie's room. The two of them settled in, with Kelly checking in periodically while Callie dozed in and out of sleep. The bed wasn't very comfortable and she couldn't roll over into her preferred position because of her IV.

Lena was next to her through all of it: bouts of chills and fever, alternating between 'freezing to death' and 'unbearably hot' and the restlessness and exhaustion that co-existed with the unfamiliar environment. As a parent, she was used to sleepless nights.

It was after 4 AM. While the department was kept down to a dull roar, Callie had a few coughing spells that were loud. She felt terrible that she was keeping other kids awake. Lena was rubbing Callie's arm, comforting her.

"I hate this."

Lena let Callie have some water. "You're gonna be okay, bug. Try to relax. Close your eyes."

"Mama?" a small voice asked after a beat.

"Yeah, hon?"

"Thank you for staying with me," the girl said, feeling drowsy as her body compelled her to rest. "I'm glad I'm not alone...you're the best."

Lena kissed Callie's head; she couldn't really form words right then.

A few minutes later, Lena watched as her daughter's eyes fluttered closed; her breaths evened out and she was asleep.

Lena seized the opportunity to catch a bit of sleep, herself. She drifted off with a smile on her face.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Saturday - 7:15 AM**

When morning came and Dr. Cleo Finch was rounding on the floor, she examined Callie. "The antibiotics are working. Your lungs sound much better. How do you feel?"

"Okay. Much less pain and I can breathe better."

"Good. What was her last temp?" Dr. Finch asked Kelly.

"101.5 as of an hour ago," she answered.

"That's good. We'll see how you do for a few more hours and you can be discharged."

"Awesome."

Dr. Finch left and Stef came in soon after, still in her uniform. "Hey, sweets. How are you?" She held out a purple stuffed bear and gave it to her.

"Awww. Thanks, Mom. I'm okay."

"Dr. Finch was just here. Callie is doing well and can maybe go home in a few hours," Lena told her before they kissed.

"That's great, honey."

"You look like you haven't been by the house, so why don't I go home and relieve Mike? Call me if Callie will be discharged and I'll come get you."

"Okay."

Lena kissed Callie's head. "I'll see you in a few hours. Try and get some more sleep."

"Okay, Mama. See ya."

Lena left and Callie saw that Stef had lain down on the cot. "I'm gonna take a cat nap for awhile, love. I think we'll all need one today. Just rest."

The two of them did so as Callie continued to recover during the morning hours.

 _[][][][][][]_

 **Saturday - 12:20 PM**

All of the kids were waiting as Stef, Lena, and Callie walked in the front door, home from the hospital. Callie had been sent home with strict orders to rest and take her medicine, ampicillin, for the next ten days.

There was a chorus of 'welcome home,' along with hugs.

"You guys should've seen Mom. She scared the crap out of this medical student who came to examine me."

Jesus' eyes lit up. "No way, really?"

"Dr. Lewis had to rescue him from her or it wouldn't have been pretty," Lena added with a sly smile.

Stef frowned. "I'm hurt. Is it so bad that I want the best for you guys?"

"You don't have to go all 'mama bear' on everyone all the time, you know," Jesus said.

"I'll show you 'mama bear...'" Stef pulled Jesus into a tight hug and smothered him in kisses until he managed to wriggle away free.

After all of the fanfare, Stef and Lena brought Callie upstairs and put her to bed in their room. The three of them dressed down and climbed in, with Callie in the middle.

"Are you glad to be home?" Lena asked.

Callie smiled. "Yeah. This is way better than that hospital bed. I'm so tired."

"Sleep, baby. We'll be right here," Stef said gently, kissing her temple.

Between Callie's illness, Stef pulling an all-nighter at work, and Lena sleeping on a cot in a busy hospital, they were all exhausted and fell asleep rather quickly, relaxed and secure together.

* * *

 **A/N:** Just one more chapter left!

 **Behind the Story:** This was originally the way I ended it, but I decided to keep going.

Leave me your thoughts! You guys have been amazing with your feedback!


	10. Home

**A/N:** The last part.

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - "Home"**

 **Wednesday - 11:21 AM**

Stef returned from upstairs to the living room with a blanket. "There. Straight from the dryer." Callie relished its warmth as the blonde plopped down on the couch next to her daughter. "Anything good on TV?"

"Not really."

"How 'bout a movie?" Stef got up to look at their DVD selection. "No...no...nah...oh, here! You'll love this." She gave Callie the DVD case.

She eyed it skeptically. " _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ from 1975?"

"It's a comedy that's a classic. I haven't seen it in awhile." She put the disc in the player. "Do you need anything before we start?"

"No, I'm good."

Stef hit 'play' and the movie started.

"These credits are weird."

"It gets better, I promise."

"Wait, is he using coconuts?"

"Why, yes. How observant of you."

Callie chuckled at ' _Help! Help! I'm being repressed!_ '

Stef elbowed her playfully. "See? I told you it was funny."

Callie about busted a gut laughing at the horrible effects during the scene with the Black Knight. "This is so stupid, he has no limbs and he's still trying to fight..."

"That was the most random ending to a movie ever," Callie said after it was over.

"I know. It just stops. What was your favorite part?"

"Sir Robin and the singing: _When danger reared its ugly head/He bravely turned his tail and fled_ ," Callie answered, laughing. "What's yours?"

Stef grinned. "The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch."

"Yeah, that was good, too." Callie coughed, although, it was slightly less grating. Today was the first day that she actually started feeling better, but she knew it would be awhile before she was back to one-hundred percent. She snuggled into Stef's side, tired.

"Nap time?"

"Mhm."

"Okay, love." Stef draped the blanket over them both and kissed her daughter's head. "Sweet dreams."

For Stef, having Callie feel safe and loved in her arms was all that ever mattered. She'd never let go.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:** _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ ; one of my favorite movies. Great British humor; I definitely recommend watching it if you never have. I couldn't resist throwing a bit more Stef/Callie in. I just love their relationship.

I loved writing this and posting it for you all. I did not expect to get the response I did. Thanks for all of the feedback that was sent along the way; it was very encouraging and every bit helps me become a better writer. I'm always striving to improve.

 **Voting results:** It was pretty close, but **C.) Callie drama/angst** won. So, as promised, that is coming next. It is called **Storms**. Be on the look out for the beginning of that within the next week. If you add me as a followed author, you will be notified when it is posted.

Thank you all so much again for reading, reviewing, and enjoying. Cheers.


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